TweakTown News Posts - Page 1

Researchers from Check Point Software Technologies in Israel have found a surprising computer spying operation that "likely" originated from a government agency or political group operating inside of Lebanon.

The spy software, once installed via hijacked public websites, could steal personal and corporate information from victims.

"They are not 'script kiddies,'" said Shahar Tal, a researcher at Check Point Software Technologies, in a statement published by Reuters. "But we have to say in terms of technical advancement, this is not NSA-grade. They are not replacing hard drive firmware."

The first finalists have now been placed into groups and are set to duke it out from April 10-12 in Cologne at ESL's TV studio in front of a live audience.

EnVyUs has been placed in group B and are one of the favorites to take out the event after coming off the back of a StarSeries XII win last weekend. However, they have been put up against three other international professional teams all vying for the top spot in their group of four alone.

Thanks to HLTVorg we have been provided with the information on the two groups, which we have included below.

Jay Z has called upon music industry heavyweights to help invest in - and promote - the Tidal music service. Tidal is designed to compete with Pandora, Spotify, and other online music streaming services at a time when more users want streaming music - but trying to win over record labels has proven difficult.

Tidal is supported by PCs, Macs, Google Android, and Apple iOS, with access available to more than 25 million songs and 75,000 music videos. Songs can be streamed in lossless format, promising sound quality up to four times better than rival services. Subscriptions cost $9.99 or $19.99 per month, with free trials available.

Unlike many other online music streaming services, it looks like Tidal has more support from the music industry.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is causing problems for companies trying to test commercial drones, but can find less bureaucratic headaches in Canada.

Amazon is now using land within 2,000 feet of the US-Canada border for its drone tests. The drones are working on basic flight features that include the following: obstacle avoidance, self-landing efforts, what happens if a drone loses connection, and other easier tasks.

Amazon hopes to be able to deliver packages that weigh up to five pounds in just 30 minutes or less after an order is processed. However, the FAA is dragging its feet in regards to legislation so they can fast track testing - making outdoor flight tests extremely difficult.

Smartphone company HTC wants to continue its expansion away from just smartphone hardware, and the Vive head-mounted display (HMD) is an important next step. Partnering with Valve gives HTC the chance to build trust among hardcore gamers, and the experiment will begin soon. Vive is expected to be released before the end of 2015.

The room scale experience, full-room virtual reality, is something that HTC and Valve hope is great for gamers.

"We look at it similar to the way we looked at smartphones in the late 90s - as really, the future," said Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC America, when speaking of the HTC Vive. "Gaming is where it will start. Plenty of application for that right away. As soon as you experience it, you will see how it can change the world of education, travel, real estate. There are so many different vehicles."

Digital game developers are being enticed to head across the pond and set up shop in the UK, with millions of dollars in possible tax breaks. Up to an estimated £115 million ($171 million) could be at stake over the next four years, though the government hasn't set a tax break cap yet.

To qualify for the tax break, however, developers will be required to take a "cultural test," in an effort to verify they are creating games directed to Europe. Games in the English language, made by European developers, in-game locations in Europe, or with characters with European influence, will earn more points of the test.

"I remember when people were first talking to me about this," said Jason Kingsley, chairman of the London-based game industry group Tiga, in a statement published by the Wall Street Journal. "They were saying, 'Are we going to have tons of games based on double-decker buses and people with bowler hats?" The answer is no. But you could have games like that, and they would probably qualify very easily."

It's getting more difficult to identify and track terror groups online, with the Dark Web and file encryption proving effective.

It's up to tech companies to think about the supposed damage facing police agencies and federal investigators, said Rob Wainwright, director of Europol, while speaking to 5 Live Investigates. Using forms of encrypted communications helps terrorists avoid detection while corresponding with one another.

"With the right resources and cooperation between the security agencies and technology companies, alongside a clear legal framework for that cooperation, we can ensure both national security and economic security are upheld," said a spokesperson with TechUK, a UK technology trade organization.